Criticism of Ukraine policy
Strack-Zimmermann: “None” in the Chancellery
7/10/2022 9:36 p.m
FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann warns of “historically serious problems” if the federal government continues to act as before with regard to the Ukraine war. The chairwoman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag calls for “clear leadership and appropriate action”.
The FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann is still dissatisfied with the federal government’s course in terms of support for Ukraine. On questions about Ukraine and communication about it, “under no circumstances can things go on like this,” wrote the chair of the Bundestag’s Defense Committee on Twitter. She added: “I expect clear leadership and appropriate action from the Federal Chancellery. Because the following still applies here: none.” The FDP politician wrote: “If we continue to be so thin about Ukraine, we will be responsible for historically serious problems. My colleagues and I will not support that.”
The demand by the CDU and CSU to deliver 200 “Fuchs” armored personnel carriers to Ukraine at short notice did not find a majority in the Bundestag on Friday night. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht had already warned in the run-up to the vote against “looting” the Bundeswehr. She said: “We support Ukraine with everything that is possible and responsible. But we have to ensure Germany’s ability to defend itself.”
Strack-Zimmermann criticized that the Union was only concerned with the application for the “Fuchs” tanks to present the government. In April she traveled to western Ukraine together with the chairmen of the committees for foreign and European affairs – Michael Roth and Anton Hofreiter. It was the first visit by prominent German politicians to Ukraine since the Russian attack began on February 24.
On Wednesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced further arms deliveries to Ukraine as part of the so-called ring exchange for the coming weeks. The federal government has “now specified these agreements with several countries to such an extent that they will be directly linked to extradition,” he said in the Bundestag. But he did not give any details.
Ring exchange means that Eastern European allies deliver weapons of Soviet design to the Ukraine and receive weapons from Germany in return. Soviet-made weapons are easier for Ukrainian soldiers to use than Western-made equipment, which is new to them.